The present invention relates to racks or bays used primarily for mounting and housing telecommunications equipment, and more specifically to an improved rack for mounting telecommunications equipment which allows for mounting digital equipment in the rack and the selection of either a Network Bay base or a UFER base in accordance with customer order.
Telecommunications equipment racks or bays are typically installed in controlled environment vaults, central switching offices, and remote switch buildings. As known to those in the telecommunications field, equipment racks or bays can be ordered in many different sizes and configurations. Generally speaking, unequal flange equipment racks (UFERs) can be ordered with either a relatively lower bottom profile Network Bay base or with a relatively higher profile UFER base. Further, unequal flange equipment racks or bays are manufactured in a variety of widths and heights in order to accommodate the needs of customers. As is also well-known in the telecommunications industry, unequal flange equipment racks or bays have previously been constructed to accommodate traditional non-digital equipment, and the slightly wider digital telecommunications equipment does not readily mount in conventional unequal flange equipment racks. The problem with designing new wider equipment racks for the digital equipment is that the horizontal space between the upright supports must be increased by 0.25 inches but the horizontal spacing between the mounting holes must remain the same as prior unequal flange equipment racks in which the mounting holes are provided in the front and back flange of each upright support.
The present invention is intended to provide a mass customization rack that will accommodate digital telecommunications equipment by providing a full 0.25 inch wider mounting space while maintaining the original horizontal spacing between mounting holes. Further, the mass customization rack of the present invention is manufactured so as to interchangeably accommodate either the low profile Network Bay base or the higher profile UFER base in accordance with customer specification.
Summarily, the novel rack of the present invention is constructed so as to be able to accommodate digital telecommunications equipment with conventional horizontally spaced apertures provided by the rack as well as to allow for the attachment of either a Network Bay base or a UFER base during manufacturing in accordance with customer requirements. The resulting telecommunications rack possesses a unique ability to accommodate mounting of digital telecommunications equipment as well as provide a generic construction that simplifies the manufacturing process for the equipment rack. Thus, the new mass customization rack reduces the manufacturer""s need to stock a variety of conventional bays and racks, and meets a long-felt need in the telecommunications industry for an unequal flange equipment rack that can accommodate both non-digital and digital telecommunications equipment.
In accordance with the present invention, applicant provides a new rack assembly for mounting telecommunications equipment designed specifically to accommodate both non-digital and digital telecommunications equipment as well as to interchangeably accept both a Network Bay base and UFER base to reduce the need for the conventional proliferation of differently sized and featured equipment bays and racks. The rack assembly comprises a pair of upstanding spaced-apart frame members with a generally U-shaped crosssection and having a web with a bottom and a relatively short side portion on one side and a relatively long portion on the other side, and wherein each of the frame members are outwardly directed relative to the other frame member such that each of the frame members forms a front and rear corner at the juncture of the web bottom with the long and short web side portions, respectively. A plurality of strips are mounted to a corresponding plurality of the front and rear comers, and each of the strips defines a plurality of vertically spaced-apart mounting apertures therein. A horizontal frame member is secured at each opposing end to the upper end of a respective one of the pair of upstanding spaced-apart frame members, and a base is provided at the bottom of the rack assembly and extending between the lower ends of the pair of upstanding spaced-apart frame members which is interchangeable from a Network Bay base to a UFER base.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an individual rack assembly which is adapted so as not to assume its final configuration until after the receipt of a customer order.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rack assembly which can accept generic weldments and other critical components subsequent to receipt of a customer order so as to allow a decrease in order lead time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rack assembly that is adapted for mass customization so as to streamline the rack assembly manufacturing requirements.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rack assembly that utilizes a single weldment for both Network Bays and UFERs.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rack assembly which utilizes mounting strips at each of the four corners thereof in order to provide mounting apertures closer to the corners of the upstanding frame members.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rack assembly that allows for increased width between the upstanding frame members while maintaining the same horizontal spacing between mounting apertures.
Some of the objects of the invention having been stated hereinabove, other objects will become evident as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings as best described hereinbelow.